262 



COWPEA 



COWPEA 



Varieties. 



The cowpea is subject to such wide and easy 

 variation as the result of climate and other envi- 

 ronment that any treatment of varieties is unsat- 

 isfactory. More than one hundred different names 

 are on record purporting to be names of varieties, 

 but in reality many of these are synonyms. 

 Dodson states (Louisiana Experiment Station, Bul- 

 letin No. 40 ) that there are probably about five 

 botanical varieties, namely, those with (1) red 

 seed, (2) black seed, (3) white seed, (4) the clay 

 varieties, and (5) granite and similar strains, 

 with fine, dark markings on a brown background. 

 He regards all others as connecting links or inter- 

 mediate hybrids. However, we must recognize a 

 considerable number of true agricultural varieties, 

 with fairly good distinctions, whatever may have 

 been their origin. Perhaps the best attempt to 

 classify any considerable number of varieties was 

 that made by Starnes in Bulletin No. 26 of the 

 Georgia Experiment Station, which classification is 

 here quoted : 



"Among the more important characteristics 

 which distinguish the different varieties are the 

 following, in the order of their probable impor- 

 tance : 



CHARACTERISTICS : 



(1) Form of pea. Main divisions : 



(ffii) Crowders. 

 (6) Kidneys. 



(2) Habit of growth. Divisions: 



(a) Trailing. 

 (6) Recumbent. 



(c) Semi-recumbent. 



(d) Erect. 



(3) Time of maturity. Divisions : 



(o) Very early. 



(b) Early. 



(c) Medium. 



(d) Late. 



(e) Very late. 



(4) Color of pod. Divisions : 



(a) Dark pods. 

 (6) Light pods. 



(5) Color of peas. Divisions too numerous 



to specify. 



(6) Size of pods. Divisions : 



(a) Very large. 

 (6) Large. 



(c) Medium. 



(d) Small. 



(e) Very smalL 



(7) Size of peas. 



(a) Very large. 



(b) Large. 



(c) Medium. 



(d) Small. 



(e) Very small. 



(1) Form of pea. 



" The form or shape of the pea necessarily in- 

 volves, as well, the form or shape of the pod. Two 

 main forms appear to be assumed : (o) A rounded 



form so closely packed in the pod that the sides of 

 the pea are flattened or indented, giving the pod a 

 tightly stuffed, corrugated, plethoric appearance. 

 This class of pea is known as crowder. (6) A flat- 

 tened form, kidney-shaped, and placed farther 

 apart in the pod, which is smoother and leaner in 

 appearance. The pods of crowders are generally 

 stubby and short, those of the kidney type, long. 



Fig. 370. Cowpeas as a cover-crop. Useful either in orcliards 

 or general field conditions. 



" Both of these types combine indiscriminately 

 the other points of difference, being of diverse 

 sizes and colors of pea and of either shade of pod, 

 while their habit of growth is as likely to be trail- 

 ing as erect, and they are of all stages of maturity. 

 Among the forty odd varieties tested this year at 

 the station, the following are crowders — all the 

 others kidneys : 



" Mush, Purple Hull Crowder, Red Crowder, Small 

 Lady, Smith No. 14, Speckled Crowder, Sugar 

 Crowder, White Crowder, Williams Hybrid. 



(2) Habit of growth. 



"The following divisions obtain in regard to 

 growth : 



(a) Trailing : Conch, Red Eye, Williams Hybrid. 



(ft) Recumbent : Calico, Congo, Large Lady, Li- 

 lac Red Pod, New Era, Pony, Red Crowder, 

 Red Ripper, Saddleback, Small Lady, 

 Smith No. 7, Smith No. 9, Smith No. 

 14, Speckled Crowder, Sugar Crowder, 

 Vacuum, White, White Brown Hull, White 

 Crowder, White Giant. 



(e) Semi-recumbent : Black, Black Eye, Blue 

 Hull, Chocolate, Constitution, Everlasting, 

 Forage or Shinny, Granite, Gourd, Mathews, 

 Mush, Purple Hull Crowder, Redding, Red 

 Yellow Hull, Rice, Shrimp, Smith No. 15, 

 Taylor Prolific. 



(d) Erect : Clay, Coffee, Quadroon, Red, Unknown, 

 Whippoorwill, Wonderful. 



"While the four divisions enumerated — trailing, 

 recumbent, semi-recumbent and erect — are suffi- 

 ciently distinct to form separate classes, it must 

 be noted that any variety, no matter how erect its 

 general habit, will trail or run before the end of 

 the season if planted very early and in rich ground. 

 This characteristic has led to some confusion in 

 the identification of varieties. 



